can i touch it? is a play that explores the complex issues of gentrification and Black hair politics, focusing on a Black woman named Shay Solomon who owns a beauty supply store in a rapidly changing neighborhood, often facing inquiries from outsiders wanting to touch her hair, while simultaneously battling to keep her business afloat against the pressures of development and changing demographics; it delves into the personal struggles of Shay and her family as they navigate these societal issues, highlighting the importance of community and cultural identity in the face of change.
As tensions escalate and Shay’s resilience is tested, she retreats into a realm of tranquility that women of color often resort to when confronted with stupid questions. Read a review here.
Fridays @ 7pm, Saturdays @ 4pm, Sundays @ 2pm
This show is presented through the generosity of C.H. Douglas & Gray Wealth Management.
Art on Display
The Expression and Identity of Resistance: photography by Faith Blackwell and Chandra Lynch, February 14 – March 30
These strong, beautiful photos by two Indianapolis Black artists, businesswomen, and entrpeneaurs are meant to continue discussions and thoughts about topics brought to the surface in can i touch it?
Learn More Here
About the Playwright
Francisca Da Silveira is a Cape Verdean-American playwright and Boston native who holds a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MSc in Playwriting from the University of Edinburgh. She has been featured in ArtsBoston, The Los Angeles Times and American Theatre magazine. Her plays have been developed with Theatre503 (London), The Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), Company One Theatre (Boston), The Fire This Time Festival (New York), The Playwrights Realm (New York), The Public Theater (New York) and La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego). Fran’s play Not-For-Profit (Or The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Play) was featured in The Playwrights’ Realm’s INK’D Festival in April 2021 and in La Jolla Playhouse’s DNA New Works Series in July 2021. Her play can i touch it? was featured in the National New Play Network’s 2020 National Showcase of New Plays and in 2022-2023 will receive a Rolling World Premiere at Company One Theatre (Boston), Rogue Machine Theatre (Los Angeles) and Cleveland Public Theatre (Cleveland).
Fran was a 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Writing Fellow, a member of The Public Theater’s 2020-2023 Emerging Writers Group, and a 2022-2023 Jerome Fellow with the Playwrights’ Center. She is working on commissions from the University of Virginia’s Drama Department and Brooklyn-based theater Colt Coeur.
